Aya
by Orange Blossom Nin
Summary: [AU] [OOC] [KakashixIruka] [Yaoi] Warning: Major fluff! When the occasion called for it he put aside his own childhood and became a mature father. Now when love calls while he let himself respond?
1. Midnight Snow's

Prologue: Midnight Snow's  
  
It was a soft, comfortable night in the middle of November, snow fell quietly outside the tightly shut windows and the heat was up just enough to keep it warm but not enough suffocate the occupants of the small apartment. When he was younger, around five or so, he used to be curled between his parents on nights like tonight and silently they would watch the small glass window over their bed until one by one they drifted off to sleep. Now as he reflected on that time with sorrow and wonderment, it seemed so far off, that time of innocence, of naivety. He was a foolish child and had thought that moments such as that would last a lifetime, now looking back; he wished he hadn't squandered them with such frivolity.  
  
With a soft sigh the fifteen-year old flopped onto his stomach, letting the gentle moonlight shine onto his black-cloth covered back. He really should be asleep, he had an early mission in the morning and Ibiki-sensei did not tolerate lateness or laziness. Squeezing his soft brown eyes shut he tried desperately to get his brain to shut down and let the much-needed sleep take over. But much to his dismay he couldn't seem to shake the nagging feeling that something was off about his current position. Groaning in aggravation at the prickling sensation that grated at his brain he opened his eyes once again and surveyed the room.  
  
It was nothing special, just a medium sized room that he had taken over a few months after his parents had died. Normally he wouldn't have touched it but certain circumstances had forced him to make use of what available room he had in the apartment. The carpet was a light blue color and ran throughout the entire living space, he had chosen it partly because of the color and partly because it was extra soft, he needed every advantage that he could now that the toddler had begun to totter unevenly, following him wherever he went. The walls were a warm white color; it complimented nicely against the blue and even on the stormiest day didn't seem harsh. Various poster's and pictures littered the walls, mementos that managed to bring a smile to his face every time he glanced at them, one of his favorites was a crayon drawing hung in a place of honor next to the last picture he had of him and his parents.  
  
The drawing wasn't anything special; it was the normal kind of work you would expect from a two year old yet still he loved it dearly. Two figures were depicted on the paper by two different scribbles of color, one brown, one yellow, the yellow blob was smaller than the brown one and seemed to be holding it's hand. Underneath the two blobs were the crudely drawn letters, "N" and "D". N of course for Naruto and D for daddy, when the toddler had given it to him he had to work hard to keep the tears that filled his vision from falling and alarming the adorable little boy. Even now every time he glanced at it, even from the corner of his eye his heart swelled with a seemingly never-ending amount of love and pride.  
  
Suddenly it hit him and he had to shake his head at his own stupidity, of course that was the reason he couldn't sleep tonight. Scuttling towards the edge of the bed and tentatively sticking his toe out onto the floor to check for a misplaced toy or something equally damaging he sat on the edge of the small twin bed. Stepping down onto the floor he moved to the door, managing to avoid any obstacles in his path, thanks to the oddly bright moonlight that shown from the barely shut curtains on the balcony doors and the small overhead window, lighting his way through the disaster of a bedroom/ play room.  
  
Opening the dark wooden door with a slight creaking sound he crept across the silent hallway to the matching wooden door that faced his. With a soft smile he grabbed the dull gold handle and turned it, pushing slightly the door gave way and opened to a silent, dark room, the only light being in the form of a soft nightlight plugged in over by the window. Quietly he walked through the recently cleaned room and over to the plain white crib that was placed just under the window. Leaning against the securely locked safety guard he gazed down at the adorable sight within it.  
  
Soft, angelic blond hair was matted against the soft animal-printed sheet that stretched across the small mattress. Naturally pink skin shimmered lightly in the bits of moonlight that fell on it from the small cracks in the curtains. One small hand was curled into itself and the warm blue jumper the boy wore as he slept soundly on his stomach a look of content on his small face. A hand came down to softly stroke the upper part of the child's back making his face scrunch in irritation and the small body to turn over onto it's back. It was hard to believe that this little one had just celebrated his second birthday, he didn't look old enough to be two, and it gave the boy a strange sense of wonderment as he gazed lovingly down at him.  
  
Weary blue eyes blinked open and came to focus on the smiling face above it, small hands stretched out towards the man and were immediately answered as the man straightened up and then proceeded to pick up the small boy, white blanket and all, and securely snuggle him into his grasp. The small face buried itself into the warm shoulder as he began to be lulled back to sleep by the rocking motions the man made by walking back to his own bedroom, making sure to close the doors behind him.  
  
Slipping back into bed carefully, he placed the small bundle of boy next to him on the bed and gently nudged him awake again. Blue eyes peeked up at him with a soft giggle and proceeded to move the small body into a more comfortable position, sprawled across the fifteen-year olds chest. He was greeted with a soft smile and a gentle kiss on the almost pale forehead.  
  
"Naruto, look up"  
  
The small boy quizzically did as he was told and suddenly his eyes went wide with wonderment at the soft flakes of white that drifted down from midnight blue sky illuminated by the perfect white orb in the sky. The small body drew it self up into a sitting position unable to take his eyes off of the new thing that had suddenly appeared while he had been asleep. Six slender white scars, three on each side of the boys face, suddenly visible in the direct moonlight, made the elder boy's body tense harshly and then relax as a small hand came to rest on his own tan cheek and big blue eyes looked into his.  
  
"Wain?"  
  
A soft chuckle sounded from the elder's body as he slipped his arms around the small body and joined his son's gaze at the small window.  
  
"No Naruto, not rain, snow"  
  
The small boy smiled at the new sound, he liked how it sounded, almost like his favorite word, no, but he got the sense that this word was more delicate, more fantastic than no. Rolling it around in his mouth he giggled at the strange sound, frankly he was beginning to like it.  
  
"Snow"  
  
:::  
  
Ibiki-sensei: The Jounin that gave the written test out during the chuunin exams, I altered his age so that he is about seven years older than Iruka. For some reason he struck me as the perfect teacher for our soft-hearted dolphin.  
  
Aww! I don't know what happened I was finishing up the new chapter of 'From You to Me' and all of a sudden I got tackled, rather hard, by a plot bunny! I swear the little bugger almost made me fall off my chair! Anyway for those of you wondering this is a KakashixIruka (My second favorite couple!) fic. But it will have plenty of chibi Naruto to add humor and lots of awww! moments when the two older boys aren't snogging each other  
  
::Giggle::  
  
So not to confuse anyone Iruka at the moment is still a Genin, he gets child-support from the Hokage each month to help take care of Naruto... and yes he did officialy adopt Naru-kun on the boy's first birthday.  
  
I do hope you all enjoy my newest venture into the multi-chapter fictional stories. It should be quite the dozy.  
  
Oh! The newest chapter of 'From You to Me' should be out sometime late tomorrow! Love you m'dears!  
  
::Blows kisses::  
  
"But children you should never let  
Such angry passions rise;  
Your little hand's were never made  
To tear each other's eyes."  
  
-Isaac Watts  
  



	2. Winter Cheer

Part 1: Winter Cheer  
  
Overnight the world had been transformed; into a quieter, humbler, more entranced version of what was probably one of the loudest, most populated villages of the fire country. An inch of snow ran from roof to roof covering the garish red color that most decided to tile their roofs with and suddenly it seemed like they were in a different world. Classes had most likely been cancelled at the local schools, it normally snowed only twice in the winter months, so the adults were pretty generous whenever it did snow and let the children enjoy the spectacle.  
  
Small icicles dripped off of every available surface reflecting off of the wide sky blue eyes of the young child that watched them from the safety of his papa's arms as they carefully raced from roof to roof trying to keep on schedule. Chubby arms were wrapped securely around the blue and white scarf covered neck of the elder boy and his legs followed the motion only around the waist covered in puffy blue material. The boy himself wore a puffy bright orange jacket over his pajamas and a pair of matching rubber waders that were almost to big for him, yet not big enough that they were in any danger of slipping off. Resting haphazardly on the elder boys shoulder was a dark blue diaper bag with various brightly colored cartoon characters prancing across it, proclaiming their ABC's.  
  
Iruka readjusted the cloth handle of the bag and pulled the small boy closer to him, repositioning his arm so it could better support the ever growing weight. A yawn close to his ear let the boy know exactly how tired his son was, with a wince he hugged him a bit tighter, Kurenai-senpai was going to be so happy with him when he dropped Naruto off. She was going to have to deal with the crankiness that came from, as she put it, 'Irresponsible father's who think that two year olds can stay up as late as they can'. He let a small laugh escape, she may sound harsh but she really was quite proud of the way that he had immediately taken to the small baby and had taken care of both of them until Iruka had turned fifteen and was mature enough to actually adopt Naruto as his own.  
  
As if the baby knew he was being thought about he blew a raspberry making Iruka glance down at him with surprise when the spit bubble that came with it popped right in the toddlers face. The boy blinked with great astonishment a few times then giggled with delight as his father shook his head, a small chuckle drifting from his mouth. Pausing on one roof he dug into the diaper bag and pulled out a tissue, deftly wiping the boy's face so it was free of any offensive liquid he stuffed the used tissue back into a random pocket, he didn't have time to dispose of it properly.  
  
Starting back up he only had to jump two more roofs before he landed softly on one of the doorsteps. Knocking on it quickly he pulled the dark blue bag off of his shoulder and grabbed the strap in the middle so it hung comfortably by his side. The door creaked open and his warm brown eyes glanced up to meet bleary maroon eyes staring at him with something akin to confusion. With a smile he held out the back and a pale slender hand came to grasp it instantly.  
  
"Sorry for coming so early Kurenai-senpai but Ibiki-sensei sent a messenger this morning that said the mission had been moved up by two hours."  
  
The woman nodded and quickly concealed a nod before holding out her arms to accept the squirming bundle of orange and yellow. Naruto's face scrunched up as she took him and he let out a soft cry holding out his arms towards the brown-haired boy.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
Iruka sighed and kissed the boy gently on his forehead before carefully wiping the few early tears that had magically appeared so suddenly in the child's eyes.  
  
"Don't worry my Naru-kun I'll be back soon, okay?"  
  
The words were murmured as he sniffed the sparkling blonde hair of his son, it smelled of the apple blossom shampoo that they had used last night during his bath. It was difficult to leave the precious little boy, but he also knew that he could ignore everything and focus solely on spoiling the child. As much as he would love to it wasn't healthy for him or for his father to spend every waking second with each other, yet he still wished he could have more time with him, it seemed that each day he grew bigger and stronger than the last.  
  
Flashing a smile that betrayed none of his thoughts to the robe-clad woman he ruffled the pouting boys hair once more and then was off, hopping from roof to roof. The two stood in the doorway and watched until he was no more than a blur in the early rising sun and then slowly the woman closed the door with a silent prayer for the elder boy's safety. Glancing down at the young child in her arms she smiled brilliantly at the large yawn he gave her and proceeded to take off his outerwear.  
  
Letting the jacket and boots drop in the entryway she shuffled through the house and back to her bedroom, Naruto had already begun to fall back asleep and she couldn't help but agree with him that a couple more hours of the delicious darkness was needed before either of them were the least bit eager to face the day. Coming into her bedroom she set him gently on his stomach in the waiting playpen. Digging his favorite white blanket out of the diaper bag she draped it over him, making sure no drafts would catch him. Then placing the dark blue bag on the floor next to the pen, she walked back to her own bed and fell gratefully into it. Within seconds both were fast asleep, dreaming of an elegant wonderland that lay for them when they awoke once again.  
  
:::  
  
Slim fingers adjusted the slender microphone that rested on the left side of his face as his thin body pressed lightly against the dark slightly damp bark. His normally calm brown eyes were narrowed in concentration as he listened to a voice that quickly clipped instructions into his ear. He wore a pair of dark blue baggy pants that rode almost scandalously on his hips, that is when he let them, and a lighter blue hoodie with an orange logo on the back and the arm the sleeves having been pushed up to his elbow showing off a couple of braided bracelets. On his feet were a pair of blue sandal boots and his hair was tied high above his head, his light blue jacket and scarf had been abandoned when the sun had finally come out. Glinting from the top of his head was of course the hard won forehead protector held firmly in a place.  
  
From the corner of his eye he could see one of his other teammates, Gekkou Hayate, a sweet boy, younger than his teammates by one year, unfortunatly plagued with an almost constant cough, yet he was the most skilled in Ninjutsu of the three. He wore a pair of Khaki pants, a form-fitting slim black shirt with a green vest almost reminiscent of a Chuunin's. His dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and his forehead protector was pulled completely over his head, a strange combination but it worked quite well for him. Over the channel he could hear the muffled cough of the boy and his brow furrowed with concern.  
  
"Iruka"  
  
He blinked at the sudden use of his name and immediately slid back into a more serious, focused frame of mind. Crouching he gave a light jump and landed on a branch at least five feet above his former spot. Scanning across his visible range he also sent out a probing net of chakra and suddenly it snagged on something. A sly smile graced his face and a hand came up to rest on his earpiece.  
  
"3 yards to the left"  
  
In less than a second all three Gennin's had acted, Hayate moved one and a half yards further and set up the perimeter. Mizuki, the third member of their team, meet up with Iruka and they surronded their prey in all of but one second. They had to keep their movements swift and perfectly timed if they wanted to actually come out of this with the upper hand, so that meant that Mizuki, the most spontaneous one on the team was keeping his enthusiasm on a chokehold, his intelligent mind keeping a keen track of every single movement their 'prey' made.  
  
Iruka didn't waste time, the instant he heard the extremely soft conformation buzz that all clones had been taken care of, he threw out a deadly wave of needles that headed straight for the tall man who had paused a mere half second ago. The slender glints of steel came dangerously close to the broad back covered in dark green cloth before the large body suddenly turned and seemingly without any thought caught all sixteen needles in between the fingers of his right hand. Mizuki already having anticipated this development had sent off another wave of needles as Iruka leapt overhead, snapping a handful of shurikens at the distracted man.  
  
With an elegant move that seemed out of place coming from such a large body, the man in question moved swiftly to the left, letting the shurikens sink into the still soggy ground and the needles to stabilize in the wet bark he had been leaning against moments ago. But what he hadn't been anticipating were three carefully aimed kunai that suddenly appeared and pinned him to yet another tree. Normally this would have been an easy problem for him to solve if it hadn't been for the chakra carefully concealed on the tips. About a yard away slender hands quickly sent out a long string of seals and the instant the chakra covered tips buried into the wood a special Earth Ninjutsu was activated.  
  
The wood formed into long strips of green bark, alive with the power of new growth and slammed around the body that was pressed against it. Then as suddenly as it had come it melded back to it's normal shape, only trapping everything, except for the man's head, in the bark with a grip tighter than steel. Four beats passed as the three Genin watched the man carefully for any signs that the Ninjutsu had failed then they warily came into view, their stances indicating that any slightest movement would be meet with another carefully planned, yet devastating attack.  
  
A deep, rare chuckle proceeded to come from the head that now seemingly grew from the bark itself as small black eyes studied the three carefully. Hayate emerged from the center, his hands still clasped in the monkey seal, his dark eyes steadily watching the tree for any resistance. Mizuki emerged from the left, his nimble fingers resting comfortably on the weapons holster strapped in perfect range of his long arm, he may have seemed relaxed but in truth he had the reaction skills of half a second. Finally Iruka moved in from the right, immediately assuming the role of team leader that fell so easily on his shoulders, while Hayate and Mizuki had their specialties it was Iruka's calm level head that brought the three of them together to make such a great team.  
  
Ibiki almost sighed as he watched the three teenagers, it seemed strange that the three pre-teens that he had begrudgingly accepted the responsibility for three years ago had turned into such fine young men, confident enough in their own abilities that they could work extremely well in a team. With a gruff nod at Hayate, the boy quickly canceled the Ninjutsu and within seconds their sensei had been freed from his binds. Dusting off his robes with a particular ease, he faced the boy's and did something that almost gave them all heart attacks. He smiled at them.  
  
"Well done boys. I do finally believe that you are ready for the Chuunin exam's."  
  
The three stood surprise flashing across each of their faces before a loud yelp of happiness was heard coming from the white-haired boy's mouth.  
  
"ALRIGHT!"  
  
Iruka and Hayate exchanged long suffering glances, much to Mizuki's dismay before their carefully placed masks of quiet indifference cracked and they let out a combined yell as they tackled their teammate in happiness. Ibiki watched the proceedings with a critical eye, the smile never leaving his face, tomorrow they would start on a more rigorous training schedule one that would soon turn those yells of happiness into groans of exhaustion, but for today he simply let them be boy's as he had been once not so long ago.  
  
:::  
  
Kurenai-senpai: Team 8's dubious leader, I thought she would make an awesome person to baby-sit for Iruka .  
  
Earth Ninjutsu: Pretty self explanatory, a Ninjutsu that uses the earth as it's main element.  
  
Aya: Bird  
  
Wee! Iruka is an awesome fighter! ::Giggles:: Seriously I didn't even know this until it suddenly appeared up on screen... ::Sigh:: I hope I managed to do a fairly believable job of portraying a "battle", it took me about a three or more hours to just write about four paragraphs.  
  
I suppose Iruka is a bit young to adopt Naruto but when you think about the natural order of that village it's really not that strange. Who really knows what age those kids are allowed to be married even? I mean at 12-13 their already involved in highly dangerous ninja battles... and plus I just wanted to portray a teenage Iruka falling head over heals for a 17 year old Kakashi... Squee! So adorable!  
  
Don't worry minna-san Kakashi will finally make an appearance in the next chapter including what Naruto and Kurenai where doing all day... It proves to be quite the day!   
  
Loves!!  
  
"But Memory blushes at the sneer,  
  
And Honor turns with frown defiant,  
  
And Freedom, leaning on her spear,  
  
Laughs louder than the laughing giant."  
  
-Oliver Wendell Holmes 


	3. First Ramen

Part 2: First Ramen

Kurenai slowly cracked one soft maroon eye open, it took every ounce of her early morning will power not to let it fall back into it's proper place and let the sleep that still fuzzily poked her mind to take over. That is if a pair of mischievous blue eyes hadn't suddenly popped into her slanted vision and something very slimy had pressed it self against her cheek. Startled, both eyes flew open to see a small toddler dressed in a pair of fuzzy blue footy pajamas giggling with delighted amusement at her face. With a sigh she picked up the tiny body and swung him up into the bed. "What it is with you and spit?"

Her only response was another spit bubble right on her nose and another high-pitched giggle from the grinning toddler. Grabbing a tissue from her bedside she swung her legs over the edge of the mattress and proceeded to wipe off her cheek and nose. "Alright I'm up." The boy jumped off the bed with cat like reflexes and raced over to his bag. Sitting down on his bottom he grasped the flip top and with all his might pulled it up with the sound of Velcro ripping. Searching intently in the patterned light blue interior, he finally drew out a half full sippy cup of juice.

Standing up first on his legs and then pushing off of the floor with his hands he turned and ran back to the now melting women, his bottle held out in front of him. With a laugh she grabbed the small boy and threw him in the air, safely of course, hand's still on his side. "You are too adorable" she said bringing his face down to her and snuggling their noses together. Settling Naruto on her hip she moved towards the bathroom, shaking her head as he began to suck diligently on his juice. "Why didn't you just do this before if you were so hungry?"

The wide blue eyes didn't respond as she fumbled through her morning preparations, brushing teeth, washing face, ect. ect. All with the observant eyes trained on her, diligently watching every move. Running the brush through her mane of dark hair, she suddenly hit a snag in the form of one tightly ensnared, chubby fist. Glancing down she meet a pair of melted, puppy dog eyes that innocently stared up at her face and the cup still stuck to his mouth. "Your not going to let me finish this are you?" Setting the brush down on the counter she walked back out of the bathroom and through the slightly cluttered bedroom to the short hallway.

Avoiding the various toys that she had been too exhausted to pick up yesterday, she managed to maneuver her way to the small kitchen. Setting him in the booster seat, she carefully strapped him in before heading over to the fridge and scanning the contents with an exhausted eye. "How about some applesauce today?" she asked absentmindedly. Hearing no objections she pulled out the jar and set it on the counter, then going to the cupboard she pulled out a bowl, putting it down next to the applesauce. Unscrewing the lid, she poured a small amount into the dish and recapped the jar. Grabbing a wide handled spoon from the drawer she walked over to the table and set them both down in front of the boy.

Naruto carefully pulled the cup out of his mouth and set it down on the table, then grasping the spoon he focused all his attention on getting the food from the bowl and to his mouth. Sitting down at the table, this time with a plate of honey toast, Kurenai and Naruto proceeded to eat breakfast with no interruptions. Setting the dishes into the sink she ran water over them for a few seconds before leaving them for later. Then going back over to boy she picked him up, leaning over the small hands grasped the empty cup and pulled it to his chest. Going back into the bedroom, she set him down and he immediately went over to his back, put away his cup, and began to pull out various articles of clothing.

Shaking her head she walked over to her chest of drawers and pulled out her normal clothing, quickly changing she turned back to him in time for a sock to fly past her face. Bending down to pick up the tiny piece of cloth she marveled at how it could fit on anyone's foot. Standing up and walking over to the boy she helped him change into a pair of tan cargo pants and a grow-into dark blue t-shirt with the wayward pair of socks. "Alright you, go put on your waders and jacket," she said with a grin as the boy raced into the hallway.

Walking over to her bed she kneeled down and pulled out her shoes. Putting them on she went back out to the door, to the extremely excited boy hopping from foot to foot outside the door. Grabbing her coat she checked for her keys as she opened the door, hearing the satisfying jingle in her pocket she grabbed the small hand and stepped out into the fresh early afternoon air. Naruto pulled excitedly at her hand but she managed to keep a tight hold on him. It had been snowing off and on that day so a fresh coat of snow gleamed on the ground, the prefect place to make long trails of footprints.

They ran to the market and weaved in and out of stands before finally collapsing on the ground both out of breath and laughing. Pulling some much needed air into her lungs Kurenai sat up and winked at the small boy busily making snow angels. Slender hands brushed snow out of her hair as she stood up and proceeded to give her clothing the same treatment. Turning back to Naruto she smiled and opened her mouth to say something that is if a very familiar voice hadn't suddenly interrupted her.

"Kurenai!"

Half turning in surprise the clueless look on her face gave way to one of happiness as a bundle of a girl suddenly hugged her back. Laughing she turned in the tight grasp and returned the favor. "Anko!" her maroon eyes upturned in joy as she let go of the small Gennin who proceeded to hop from foot to foot, being almost impossible for her to sit still for any period of time.

The girls purple hair had grown a few inches longer since the last time Kurenai had, had the pleasure of seeing her last. She had also taken to the habit of wearing a long brown duster, something that her mentor; Orochimaru had an influence in, no doubt. Either way the girl seemed like a disturbing mix between him and Naruto, or at least the way the little boy was going to grow up to be. Shaking her head slightly she stowed her worries in the back of her head, that was something for another day, another time, besides the girl in question was giving her a strange look.

"Are you alright Kurenai-kun?" she asked, coming right up to the women, sticking her slender face right under her nose, cocoa brown eyes staring up worridly. With a laugh the women pushed the girl a few inches away from her and grinned apologeticlly.

"Sorry Anko, I was simply surprised at how much you've changed." The girl immedialy grinned and clasped her hands behind her back before twirling a bit, showing exactly how much she had grown.

"Well I suppose it could be a bit of a shock." she said a bragging tone held high in her voice "Seeing how much more beautiful I have become, if that's even possible"

"Ya, that's it" Kurenai said in a fake mocking voice, adding a sigh of torture in for good measure. Her only response was a hint of pink tongue from her companion that quickly fell in favor of a giggle.

"So what are you doing out here today, on this lovely wonderful day?" Anko asked excitedly her eyes sparkling with an unknown amusment.

The women shook her head, "Well I needed a few groceries and I thought that Naruto would enjoy a tumble in the snow." she said laughing.

Anko cocked her head in puzzlement, "That's cool... Did ya leave Naruto at the snowbank?" She asked referring to the popular children's hangout when it snowed. A steep hill that gathered the most snow during the winter usually parent's could leave their children there without fear they would wander off.

Kurenai frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about you know he's to young for that and besides he's right behind me..." she said and then suddenly trailed off when she actually looked behind her. A misshapen snow angel and a trail of tiny footprints leading to the main road was the only indication that there had been someone there at one time. In a panic she quickly scanned all sides of the market, there was no sign of a small toddler dressed in a bright orange parka.

:::

It was rather silent at the ramen stand, just after the lunchtime rush so just a few stragglers were in the calm shop. That happened to suit a particular Anbu quite well, he was sitting calmly at the bar, a softly steaming bowl of ramen sitting in front of him. He slowly ate from it, most of his attention focused on the novel he held in his left hand. It was one of his rare times to himself, a vacaion he rarely had a chance to take, mostly because of he had really nothing to do during the time. No family, barely any friends, and he didn't have any hobbies, he just worked.

So it was a rare thing to see the man simply sitting and relaxing, actually in clothing that wasn't his uniform. Instead he wore a pair of black cargo pants, black combat boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt with yellow stiching and a dragon on the chest. He almost looked like a normal teenager if it wasn't for the face mask and the forehead protector covering his left eye. That was something that never changed with him, still the mysterious, strange, and sometimes frightening person he would probably always be, but the one bad thing about all this time off... he was a bit bored.

A soft tugging on his pant leg pulled him out of his thoughts and he slowly looked down to meet a pair of stormy blue eyes, tears threatening to fall at any second. Accompanying the wide eyes was a spiky mess of blond hair, one chubby hand curled tightly onto his pant leg. Glancing around the stand he didn't see anyone the toddler could belong to only two elders of the village arguing over their food.

Looking back down at the boy he smiled winningly at him, "Go back to your mommy now" he said making a little shooing motion with his hand. His only response being a the small hand tightening on his pants leg. "Okay, so that's a no." Looking sadly at his book, he sighed and slipped into the right cargo pocket. Then looking back down at the boy he couldn't help but smile at the other hand which had stretched towards him.

Leaning down he picked up the boy under each arm and set him on his lap, his left arm wrapped securly around the chubby little waist so the boy wouldn't fall off. The boy looked up at him expectantly as Kakashi tried to figure out what exactly he should do with him. The toddler solved his problem for him by reaching out towards the steaming bowl of ramen. "So that's it huh?" he said chuckling, picking up his chopsticks he pulled out a few noodles, made sure they were cool and then let the little boy chew on them.

While he ate, Kakashi tried to figure out where exactly he had come from, their weren't many people around the smaller districts this time of day, but he could have wandered off from the main market. "Your parents must be going out of their mind" he muttered looking down at the adorable little boy who had pulled the bowl closer to him and simply picking the noodles out of it, instead of waiting for the man to get them for him.

"You're ingenius aren't you?" He asked, absentmindedly grabbing a napkin and wiping off the soup that had dribbled on the boy's chin and front of his jacket. Waiting until he had finished his noodle he took the chubby fingers and wiped them off, then he set him down on the floor. Standing up himself, he pulled a few crumpled bills from his pocket and set it next to the bowl.

Then looking down at the boy he smiled again, "Do you want to walk or do you want me to carry you?" he asked his eyes glimmering with amusment as the boy seemed to think it over and then held out his arms. "Alright carry it is" He said picking up the boy and settling him on his hip, one of the chubby arms went on his neck and the other went up so he could suck on his fist. Kakashi grinned, he actually was charmed by this little boy, he was utterly adorable and had already managed to wrap him around his spit slobbered fist.

"What is your name anyway?" he asked him as they walked out of the stand into the quickly darkening outdoors. Kakashi cast a worried look at the sky, it was getting so dark so early, he hoped that they would find the boy's parents soon. On top of that it had started to snow rather heavily and soon it would be almost impossible to see anything.

"Naruto"

Glancing down in suprise he realized that the boy had just answered his question, with a smile he pulled him closer to his body. "So you can speak huh?" The boy didn't respond rather rested his head against the man's chest, his eyes drooping in exhaustion. Kakashi smiled softly "Alright Naruto, let's get you someplace warm to sleep tonight and tomorrow we'll go see the Hokage." the boy seemed to smile as he snuggled into the warmth.

:::

Umm.... Hi, I know you probably want to kill me but I actually have a great excuse, parents suck. Yup I have been grounded off the internet since the summer began and technically I am still grounded but they let me go on once a month or so to download songs from the internet, thankfully I can say this takes a long time and manage to at least update then. The other reason I haven't written as much chapters I could have is that for most of June and July I was either not home or entertaining family. So around the time school starts I'll probably be able to get on more (school work) I just hope you guys can forgive me and still enjoy this story.

Okay let's face it a 17 year-old Kakashi is extremely hot... especially in that outfit... I would draw him except that I can't draw Kakashi or basically anyone from Naruto within my life... ::Sob:: It's so unfair... Oh well at least I can still write about it!

We'll I'm freaked out I'm about to get my senior pictures taken tomorrow (Well actually probably a couple days ago by the time I'm able to post this) I hope you guys can forgive me for not being able to update more and hopefully my parents will take that ban off soon, or I find a foolproof way to get on without them knowing... ya right not my mother, my father could care less and I love that about him.

Love ya! and thanks for being so patient

"Eke lullaby my loving boy,

My little Robin, take thy rest,

Since age is cold and nothing coy."

Gascoigne's lullaby, George Gascoigne


	4. Coming Home

Part Three: Coming Home

He sat outside the window, it was probably long past midnight, but he had no idea his thoughts were long past anything so trivial. He hugged a worn light tan teddy bear to his chest, it's nose half chewed off and all he could do was stare outside the window and not let the tears fall from his face. He couldn't believe how empty his apartment was without a toddler running around underfoot. All he wanted was to hold his son again cradle him against his chest, to know that he was safe and warm and loved. It tore him apart that he had no idea where his son was, that the two year old was wandering around somewhere without anything to eat or drink, or worse yet he could be with someone that would hurt him.

It was hard to believe the strange weather today, snowing in the morning, warm in the afternoon, then a blizzard in the evening. His body was pressed tightly against the freezing window and he didn't seem to realize that he was shivering. Gently a thick blanket was draped over his shoulders and the smell of hot tea surronded his face. Glancing behind him he meet a pair of red-rimmed maroon eyes, scooting over and letting his feet fall back to the ground he gave her room to sit down. Kurenai gratefully to the place and handed him a cup of green tea, his favorite, and clasped both hands around her own cup.

Staring down into the green liquid she couldn't stop the tears filling her eyes again, a tissue stuffed in one hand came up to wipe her raw cheeks. Iruka took a small sip of his tea, his heart not into it, his mind thousands of miles away. They didn't speak because there was nothing left to say, Iruka didn't blame her but Kurenai did and she couldn't help berating herself on being so stupid and taking her eyes off of him for more than a second. It had been a long day for everyone, the minute she had told him he had been franticly searching and this was probably the first calm moment he had, had all day.

A slight shuffling from the hallway made her look up, a tousled haired Anko moved slowly through the living room. She had been at the apartment when the blizzard had started and by the time the other two had come back it was to dangerous for her to even think about going home. Her face was scrunched up in a yawn as she pulled a light blue blanket closer to her body. Sitting down next to the small window seat she gave a soft sigh. "I couldn't sleep" she muttered her eyes downcast. Kurenai placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and handed her the cup of tea. The girl thankfully accepted it and took a small drink.

The apartment became silent once again as their thoughts drifted to and from the very thing they couldn't sleep that night. Anko set the cup on the floor, after taking another drink, and pulled her knees to her chest, her head drooped down to rest on her knees. Iruka stared down into the cup, his hands tilting back and forth making it swirl, suddenly his hands tightened and in a single move he threw it with a sharp crack against the wall. It immediately shattered into pieces and fell onto the floor in a puddle of tea. Kurenai swallowed hard over the lump in her throat and Anko pulled tighter into herself. And so they waited the long night out in much the same way, worried sick out of their minds.

:::

The morning broke crisp and clear; normally he wouldn't be up before noon, that is if he hadn't been awoken at seven a.m. by a spit bubble along with a very fox-like grin. With a sigh he sat up stretching out his upper body before gathering the little boy up in his arms. "Good morning Naruto, are you hungry?" he asked calmly his eyes sparkling with a gentle happiness. It was nice waking up to someone in the morning, even if it was a toddler, someone who was depending on him and made the apartment seem less empty. Especially when it came in the form of huge blue eyes that light up every time he looked at them.

The little boy grinned excitedly before suddenly pausing and then holding his nose in an overly exaggerated gesture. Kakashi couldn't help laughing as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, "Let me guess you need a diaper change huh?" the boy didn't respond rather grabbed onto his hair and laughed at the strange wincing expression the owner made. Grabbing a diaper from the small bag he had picked up last night and the small package of wipes, he walked into the kitchen he grabbed a clean dishtowel and spread it out on the table.

Changing a diaper was a different experience to the serious Anbu, not the most pleasant experience mind you, but different. He had to say that he was glad when it was over and everything was well away from him and stuffed deep into the trash. Setting the oversized T-shirt clad Naruto on the ground he quickly cleaned up the table and tossed the towel into the hamper. Going over to the cupboard he gave it a quick scan before pulling out the all time finger food, Cheerios. Any toddler would eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Grabbing a plastic bag from the drawer he took a handful of the cereal and filled the bag.

Putting the cereal back in the cupboard he knelt down and picked up the little boy who had been hanging onto his sweat pant covered leg the entire time. Naruto immediately grabbed the bag out of his hands and started chewing on the dry cereal. "Well I guess you like that," he muttered into the top of the boy's head giving him a soft kiss. "I'm gonna miss having you around" his eye softened as they walked back into the bedroom. Grabbing the small T-shirt and pants he set the boy down on the bed and they both stared each other down.

"So... can you dress yourself?" he asked staring into the blue eyes, a cheerio hit him square in the nose as a response. Kakashi laughed and walked over to his closet and grabbed a light blue t-shirt with a dc symbol on it and a pair of dark blue jeans with a studded belt. Slipping into his clothes he also pulled on a pair of black and white vans, turning back to the little boy he saw that he had dressed himself quite well, well except for the fact that his shirt was on backwards.

Grabbing Naruto he helped him turn the shirt round before swooping him up into the air. As he was lifted, so did his shirt and a black seal become apparent on his stomach, like a black scar against the smooth tan skin. Gently Kakashi settled the boy on his hip stared at him, a strange look on his face. This was the demon child? This tiny beam of sunshine carried a merciless monster deep inside of him? How could that even be possible with the way the boy smiled so contently up at him?

A pudgy hand came up to grasp the silvery locks and the man was forced to stare straight into the blue eyes. Something odd passed between the two as they stared at each other, nothing that could be explained by Kakashi later but when it did end suddenly the demon made no difference to him. Naruto was a child just like any other, well except that he was a hundred times cuter than any child he had ever seen but that really was nothing. A smile suddenly light his face and he hugged him closer, "Alright cutie let's go see the Hokage."

:::

She sat outside the office, contemplating the reason why all waiting rooms had such uncomfortable chairs. For the fourteen year old it was almost torture having to sit still and wait patiently for the two people to finally come out. With a long-suffering sigh she let her upper body drop over her crossed legs and her eyes closed for a few minutes. It was so boring, not that she wasn't terribly worried about Naruto, but she wanted to be out looking for him, doing something other than sitting and waiting. Without opening her eyes she slid of her jacket, somehow it had gotten extremely warm after the blizzard, she was pretty sure that the weather was going through pms, how else do you explain the mood swings?

Footsteps echoed down the hall but she was having too much fun pouting to really pay attention. That is until something gentle patted her on the head, making her glance up and become almost blinded by a shock of sunshine blond hair hanging right in her eyes. Sitting up sharply she pulled her body to the back of her chair and stared down at the grinning boy, it took about five seconds for it to sink un before she gave an excited yelp and grabbed him. Hugging him tightly she could barely sustain her sudden burst of excitement and jumped off the chair, spinning them both around.

Finally claming down she stopped in the middle of the room grinning happily, "Where have you been?" she asked breathlessly. Naruto simply laughed and clapped his hands; still hyper from the ride he had just gone on. Scanning the room, her eyes barely able to focus on anything she suddenly stopped on a tall man who was leaning against the wall smiling. Taking off from her current position she skidded to a stop in front of him and gave him a solemn serious look, "Are you the one?" she asked her head tilting towards the little boy in her arms.

The guy shrugged, "I guess so but it's more like he found me than anything else." his arms uncrossing so he could jam them into his pockets.

She pulled out a thousand watt smile, grabbed his forearm before he could react and pulled him towards the heavy wooden door. He really had no choice to follow as she burst through the door and three stunned faces jerked up to land on the intruders. It had been barely even half a second and the blue eyes light up with happiness "Daddy!" the fifteen year old was out of his chair before anyone could react and had pulled the boy into his arms. The chubby arms wrapped around his neck and refused to let go as the boy simply pressed him tightly to himself, kissing every inch of the boy his face was close to.

Iruka was on his knees, on the floor the only thing he was able to do was physically able, mentally capable of doing was holding onto the little boy with no intention of letting go for a long time. A deep sigh escaped from the women sitting in a chair and she let her head fall into her hands, tears flooding into her eyes, it was almost impossible to express her relief at the moment. Anko smiled softly and moved quietly out of the way and over to Kurenai, stopping next to her chair she slung an arm over the women's shoulder. The Hokage was seemingly unaffected by it, well of course he was glad to see Naruto back safe and sound, but it was as if he knew where he was all along. Well with all exceptions he aimed a rather mysterious smile at the three males still in the doorway.

He finally stood up, his eyes covered in a light sheen of moisture, looking up he meet Kakashi square in the eye and he knew without a doubt that he was the one who had cared for his son. His face changed to one of such graceful thankfulness that the silver-haired Jounin was in such a sense of deep awe at the transformation of the boy's face. It cast a strange magnetic pull making the darker skin glow; it wasn't even possible for him to imagine looking away from those melted brown eyes. "Thank you" his voice cracked as he tried to tell this man how grateful he was.

It was a completely gut reaction he couldn't help the arm that reached out and the hand the curled behind the boy's neck into the smooth dark hair, pulling him into his chest. He immediately molded to the older man's chest, his body shaking as sobs overcame his body, Kakashi's head rested softly on top of the soft wave of silk. He buried his nose into it, catching the slightest whiff of apples and vanilla, and the other arm came to wrap around his waist, his fingers kneading into the boy's lower back.

Kurenai almost giggled at the position the two were in but Anko quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. The girl tugged her out of the chair and she pulled her towards the second entrance, the Hokage following close behind. As the door closed, Iruka pulled back slightly, a light blush spreading across his cheeks, accentuating the long scar across his nose. "I'm sorry." he muttered his eyes staring down at his worn, scuffed tennis shoes.

Kakashi smiled and brought his hand out from behind his neck and tilted up the boy's chin so he could look once again at the beautiful eyes. "You feel like silk." he muttered touching their foreheads together. The light blush deepened into a deep rose color and Iruka hesitantly leaned forward the slightest. Suddenly two small hands appeared and grasped each boy's T-shirt, forcing them to look down at the pouting boy's face. Glancing up at each other, their eye's dancing merrily and then looking back down at Naruto they couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up. Then each, one at a time, kissed the now giggling boy's forehead, extremely sorry for ignoring him so terribly.

:::

Well I hope that two chapter's helped, just a little, to make up for the extremely long period of waiting. I'm so sorry once again for making you wait this long I've got to pick up and run know I don't have much time left.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews and patience!

Loves!!

"Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power,  
After offence returning, to regain  
Love once possess'd."

-John Milton


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